African–American Community

Disparities in tuberculosis (TB) persist among members of racial and ethnic minority populations. In 2015, the majority (87%) of all reported TB cases in the United States (US) occurred in racial and ethnic minorities. Black, non-Hispanic persons, have a disproportionate share of TB in the United States.

In 2015, TB was reported in 1,995 black, non-Hispanic persons, nearly 21% of all persons reported with TB nationally. Also in 2015, the rate of TB in black, non-Hispanic persons was 5.0 cases per 100,000 population, which is over 8 times higher than the rate of TB in white, non-Hispanic persons (0.6 cases per 100,000 population).

The proportion of TB in black, non-Hispanic persons, is even greater if only US-born (African–American) blacks reported with TB are examined. In 2015, among US-born persons reported with TB, almost 36% were African Americans (black, non-Hispanic).

Although rates of TB in both blacks and whites have declined substantially over the past decade, the disparity remains. We must better target our efforts to prevent and control TB in this population. Addressing the TB disparity among African Americans and other US-born racial/ethnic groups is an important priority.

Source: Reported Tuberculosis in the United States, 2015

Educational Resources

• TB in Blacks (Fact Sheet)